Summary

This book focuses on the role of translation in a globalising world. It presents a series of case studies that explore the ways in which translation is subject to ideology and power play across diverging domains and genres. Broadly based on a discussion of 'translation and the economies of power', the chapters examine an array of contextual and textual factors, ranging from global, regional and institutional power relations to the linguistic, stylistic and rhetorical implications of translation decisions. The book maps the multiple ways in which power relations and ideological positions affect cross-cultural communication, with special reference to repressive practices in history, translation policies, media power and commercial hegemonies. It concludes that future translation research will benefit from a more sustained emphasis on the power of technology and economic capital.

Review:

This timely and clearly written collection of chapters explores the key role played by translation in the complex network of unequal power relationships of today's globalised world. The authors offer a range of perspectives on ethical and ideological dimensions of translation, which is never an innocent activity.

- Susan Bassnett, University of Warwick and University of Glasgow, UK

This important edited collection is an invitation for translators to take their visibility and accountability seriously within the global contexts in which they work. Drawing on a number of influential theories within and outside translation and interpreting studies, the contributions demonstrate the potential of translators and interpreters to contest hegemonic discourses and practices and create alternative interactive spaces where diverse understandings of the world are expressed.

- Moira Inghilleri, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

Author Biography:

Stefan Baumgarten is a Lecturer in German Language Studies at Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany. His current research centres on critical translation theories and the role of translation as an ideological practice.

Jordi Cornellà-Detrell is a Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies at the University of Glasgow, UK. His research interests focus on censorship and translation during Franco’s regime, the Spanish post-war publishing industry and multilingual literature.